Sewing-machine.



C- E- MYERS & 1. L. WHEELER. SEWING MACHfiNE.

APPLICAHON FILED DEC-111 "H3. v 1,188,474. I Patented June 27, 1916.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC-l7, {913- 1,188,474. Patented June 2?, 191a I SHEETS-SHEET 3- 22 .5.

Cibar-ZesZTMyer-g, efanIJ [iaeelen THFQCOLUMBIA PLANooRAPly co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

c. E. MYERSI& J. L. WHEELER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 1913. I

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/IL('/w C- E MYERS & J. L. WHEELER. I

SEWING MACHINE.

APPL|CAT10N FILED DECJI. 1913. v

Patented June 27,1916.

1 SHEETS-SHjEET 5.

THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co WASHINGTON, D. Cf

C. E. MYERS & J. L. WHEELER.

SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 913.

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, 1,188,474. Patented June 27, 1916.

Ill IIINIIIIIIQ llllllllli ZHIIIIIllllllllllih-z llllll l-lllllllllll luggluum C- E. MYERS & J. L. WHEELER.

SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 1913.

Patented June 27, 1916.

7 SHEETSSHEET 7.

'UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MYERS, or LEBANON, ILLINOIS, AND JOHN L. WHEELER, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS, BY MESN ASSIGNMENTS, T0 SIMPLEX SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION or MISSOURI.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES E. MYERS and JOHN L. WHEELER, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, in Lebanon, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, and in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to Sewing machines, and more particularly to loop-lock-stitch machines for sewing leather and similar material. 1

It has for its principal objects to produce a simple, compact and durable structure; to facilitate the handling and manipulation of the work, and the formation of perfect and uniform stitches; to improve generally upon machines of this type; and to attain certain advantages which will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine illustrating an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of thelefthand side of the machine; Fig. 1 is a similar view of the right-hand side of the machine; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary Section on the line of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in front elevation and partly in transverse vertical section, of the parts of the machine in the region ofthe work-table; Fig. 7 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section, of the parts shown in Fig. 6, the aWl-carrier and needle-carrier being in'their relative positions as the awl is about to puncture the work; Fig. 8 is a detail transverse vertical section through the headframe showing the arrangement of the pivot shaft and the rocking carriers for the awl and needle; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the relativepositions of the awlcarrier and needle-carrier when the awl has backed out of the work and the needle has passed through the puncture made therein by the awl; Fig. 10 is an inverted face view of the awl-holdcr; Fig. 11 is a section on the line l111 of Fig. 9; Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15 are fragmentary Schematic views illustrating the cooperation of'the awl, needle and.

locking loop catcher in the successive positlons thereof during the formation of the stitch; Figs. 16 and 17 are views illustrating the completed stitch; and Figs. 18 and 19 are fragmentary detail views showing the action of the needle guide.

The machine may be mounted upon any suitable table or stand. As shown in the drawings, it is mounted upon a stand comprising a column 1, at the top of which is a plate 2. Extending above the plate 2' is a shank or neck portion 3, at the top of which is a supplemental; plate 4 on which is mounted the bed-plate 5 of the machine.

A head-frame or casting 6, provided with lateral base extensions 7 is secured to the bed-plate 5 by screws 8. This head-frame or casting is divided vertically and longitudinally with respect to the machine, and one Section 6 thereof is removable. Contiguous inner portions of the permanent and removable sections are hollowed out to provide a chamber 9 in which the awl-carrier 10 and needle-carrier 11 work. The awl-carrier 10 is fixed tight on a rock-shaft 12 extending transversely through the headframe; and it is provided with a sector 13 which is engaged by a sector 14 on a rocking lever 15. The rocking lever 15 is mounted on a pivot-stud or Shaft 16 extending across the head-frame to the rear of and approximately in the same horizontal plane as said shaft 12, and said rocking lever is extended and provided at its end with a Stud or roller 17 adapted to work in a cam-slot 18 provided therefor in the face of a disk I 19. The disk 19 is keyed or otherwise Suitin bearing brackets 21 on the bed-plate 5. Fixed. on the power shaft 20, adjacent to the disk 19, is a SGCOIlCl disk 22. This disk 22 has a cam-slot 23 in its inner face, in which works a stud or roller 24 that is mounted on the end of a rocking lever 25. This rocking lever 25 is pivoted on the stud of stub-shaft 16 close to the rocking lever 15; and it has a Sector portion 26 which engages a sector 27 on the needle-carrier 11 in the'same manner as said rocking lever 15 cooperateswith the awl-carrier 10. The needle-carrier 11 is mounted loosely on a hub extension or collar 10 of the awl-carrier 10; and the two cam-slots 18, 23, are

respectively shaped and correlated so as to ably, on a holder 29 which is pivoted on the carrier 10 so as to oscillate transversely with respect to the direction in which said carrier oscillates.

The contiguous faces of the holder and carrier are square or flat, as at 30, so as to provide a solid bearing between the two members and yet permit the free movement of the holder on its pivot stud 31; while the circumferential face of the holder and adjacent face of the bottom wall of the chamber 9 are curved on radii from the axis of the rock-shaft 12, there being allowed just sufficient clearance between the two faces to permit the holder to oscillate laterally without binding. The pivot stud 31 is preferably provided with a head 32 which iscountersunk in a recess 33 in the holder and supports the holder on the carrier.

After the awl-h0lder29 has-been moved to the end of its forward or puncturing stroke, it is shifted laterally by a horizontally moving pin or bar 34 which enters the chamber 9 through a hole provided in the side wall thereof at a point where said pin may bear against the side of said awl-holder at the rear of the pivotal axis thereof. Sleeved on the pin 34 is a spring which exerts its force between the face of the head-frame 6 and a collar or head 36 at the outer end of the pin, so as to move the pin outward and yieldingly hold it in contact with an actuating lever 37. This actuating lever 37 is pivoted, so as to swing in a horizontal plane, on a post 38 projecting up from the bed-plate 5, and its rear end portion 39 is extended in proximity to a cam disk 40 which is fixed on the end of the power shaft 20 and has, on its outer face and near its periphery, a segmental cam projection 41.

Interposed between the disk 40 and adjacent end-porti n 39 of the lever 37 is a lever-arm 42 which is pivoted on a bracket extension 43 of the bed-plate 5. This leverarm 42 has on its free upper end a roller 44 which is positioned so as to engage the outer face of the disk 40 in the path of the cam projection 41 t iereon.

V The lever-arm 42 is yieldingly held with its roller 44 in contact with said disk 40, and the actuating lever 37 in turn in contact with said lever-arm 42, by said spring 35 the lever-arm 42 and actuating lever 37, and E a reciprocation of the pin or bolt The distance the pin 34 travels being the same at all times, the awl-holder 10 is shifted to the same position, in one direction, at each actuation thereof. That is, the holder is shifted while the awl is in the work, so as to feed the work and always bring the puncture in line with the needle. However, to permit adjustment, it is preferable to provide the actuating lever 37 with a setscrew 45 which bears against the end of the bolt 34. Obviously, by adjusting this screw in and out, the position to which the awl is shifted in feeding the work is correspondingly changed.

As the awl-holder nears the end of its rearward or receding stroke, it is engaged on its opposite side by a stud or set-screw 46 which projects into the chamber 9 in the path of a cam portion 47 provided at the end of the awl-holder. This engagement of the awl-holder against the stud 46 rocks the awl-holder back to normal or puncturing position, which position may be varied by adjusting the screw 46. By this adjust- K ment the length of the stitch is regulated.

In order to lock the awl-holder temporarily against oscillation until the awl has backed out of the Work, it is preferable to provide the curved bottom wall of the chamber 9 with a slot 48, and to provide the awlholder with a spring-pressed stud 49 which is adaptcd'to snap into said slot when the awlholder is shifted to the proper position to bring the puncture in line with the needle.

.By this arrangement the awl-holder is prevented from shifting laterally during a portion of its rearward stroke.

Asthe awl-holder moves forward, the stud 49 engages the beveled end portion 50 of the bottom wall. of the cham ber 9, whereby the stud is pushed back against the tension of the spring. During the continuation of the stroke, the stud rides on the face'of the bottom Wall of the chamber until the awl-holder is shifted. Obviously, instead of beveling the end of the wall, the stud may be beveled, or both the end portion of the wall and the stud may be correspondingly beveled.

Pivoted on the front of the head-frame (3 is a rocking arm 51 on which is mounted an arcuate finger or carrier 52 having an eye 52 for the locking thread. The rocking member 51 has a segmental gear 53 which meshes with a similar gear 54 provided on the end of a second rocking arm This second rocking arm 55 is mounted on the end of a shaft 56 which extends through the base of the head-frame 6 and is provided the short arm 59 of a bell-crank which is pivoted on a bracket 60 extending laterally from the upper portion of the head-frame.

The long arm 61 of the bell-crank is provided at its end with a roller (32 which is positioned so as to bear upon the outer face of the cam-disk 22 near the periphery thereof, which portion of the disk is provided for a portion of its lengthwith a-can1fiange G3. The roller 62 is held in contact with said disk and flange by a spring 64: which is connected at one end to the pivot stud 65 for the link 58 and arm 59 of the bell crank, and at its opposite end to a lug 66 on the headframe. By this arrangement the locking thread carrier is intermittently actuated so as to lay a loop of the locking thread through the loop of the needle thread in a manner to be presently described.

'Hinged in front of the head frame, as at 67, is a housing or casing (38 whose top portion constitutes the work support or table. This work-supporting portion is preferably inclined, as shown, and it is rounded on opposite sides, as at 69, so as to facilitate handling and manipulating the work.- A slot 70 is provided in the top portion of the housing for the passage of the awl and needle.

Preferably, the rocking member 51 of the locking thread carrier is detachably mounted 011 a stud 71, and it is held in place thereon by the front wall of the housing 68. In this way, the member 51 may be readily removed and replaced for the purpose of threading the carrier 52, and for renewing or exchanging the parts. It is also preferable to mount the stud 71 on a removable plate 7 2 which is secured to the head-frame by screws 73. In this case, the stud is fixed tight on the plate and the member 51 is fitted loose on the stud so as to be readily slipped on and off. It is further preferable to adj ustably mount the members and 57 on the shaft 56. This may be accomplished by reducing and screw-threading the ends of the shaft, as shown, and clamping the respective members thereon by nuts 7%.

Operating under the work support, in proximity to the paths of the needle and the locking thread carrier, is a horizontallymovable, reciprocatory finger or lookingloop-catcher 75. This catcher 75 is mounted on a reciprocatory bar 7 6 which slides longitudinally through the head-frame and is attached at its rear end, as by a slot-anrhpin connection, to a lever-arm 77 which is pivoted, as at 78, and is provided at its free end with a roller 79. On the head-frame is mounted a spring-pressed pin 80 which bears against said lever-arm 77 so as to yieldingly hold the latter with its roller 79 in contact with the periphery of the cam disk 22 which is provided with a cam projeetion 81. This cam projection 81 is positioned so that it acts upon the lever-arm 77 and the bar 76 to push the catcher 75 through the locking thread loop after the latter has been laid through the needle thread loop and thereby hold said locking thread loop while the carrier 52 is receding from the needle thread loop.

Pivoted loosely on the shaft 12 is a presser-foot 82. The presser-foot is provided. with a'latera-l, forward projection 83 which overhangs and clamps the work on the table; and it is provided with a slot 8% through which the awl and needle pass. EX- tending rearwardly from the presser-foot is an arm 85 which is provided at its end with a releasable clutch member 86 adapted to engage teeth 87 on a segmental member 88 which is mounted on a lever arm 89. This lever arm is pivoted, as at 90, to the head-frame, and it is provided at its free end with a roller 91 which rides on the periphery of the cam disk 19 said cam disk being provided with a peripheral recess 92 into which the roller 91 drops. The recess 92 is positioned so as to receive the roller 91 just about the time the awl has completed its puncturing stroke and just before the awlcarrier is shifted to feed the work. By this arrangement, the work being placed between the work-table and presser-foot, the arm 85 is raised until the work is clamped by the forward portion 83 of the presser-foot, said arm 85 being held in its adjusted position by the engagement of the clutch member 86 with the teeth 87 of the member 88 on said lever arm .89; and the work is thus held against accidental displacement until the roller 91 drops into said recess 92 of the disk 19 and thereby effects the release of the presser-foot or relieves its pressure so that the work may be readily shifted on the work-table.

The operation of so much of the machine as has been described will now be set forth. It will be first noted that the type of stitch is that known as the loop-lock-stitch. In other words, the stitching thread proper, or needle thread, is looped successively through the work and a locking thread is looped suecessively through the respective loops of the needle thread, the interlooped portions of the two threads being drawn into the punctures. The respective punctures, as shown in the drawings, are flared or enlarged at one side of the work so as to receive the interlcoped threads; but in some cases the punctures may be formed without this enlargement, the particular formation of the puncture not constituting invention.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4 and 7 it will be seen that the needle 28 is in its uppermost position, and the awl 29 part of the present is in a position where it is about to enter the work, which, as shown, comprises two layers of material A, B. As the power shaft 20 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the rocking lever 15 is actuated so as to drive the awl-carrieiforward and thereby force the awl through the work. l Vhile this actuation is occurring the needle-carrier 11 is at rest, as the roller 2 1 of its actuating lever 25 is riding in the concentric portion of the cam slot 23. lVhen the awl is carried through the work it moves to a position where its point is nearly or approximately in the horizontal plane of the point of the needle.- As the awl reaches the end of its puncturing stroke the Presser-foot 82 is released from the work or its pressure is relieved somewhat therefrom by reason of the roller 91 of the lever arm 89 dropping into the recess 92 of the cam disk 19. At about this time the cam projection 11 on the disk 10 will have engaged the roller 4% on the le ver arm. -12, so as to move the pin inward through the medium of the cooperating lever 37 and the lever-arm 42, thereby shifting the awl-holder 29 on its pivot stud 31 so as to bring the point of the awl close tothe point of the needle, and feed the work.

The awl-holder, in this position, is locked against oscillation by reason of the stud 19 entering the groove as in the bottom wall of the chamber 9. By the continued rotation of the power shaft 20 and the relative arrangement of the respective cam slots and cam faces on the disks 19 and the awl is caused to recede or back out of the work, followed by the needle in the close relation to which the awl and needle were brought at the termination of the puncturing stroke. The needle thus enters the work eefore the awl has receded entirely therefrom. After the awl has left the work it travels at a faster speed than the needle during the remainder of its rearward stroke. The final. position of the parts after completion of this stroke are shown more clearly in Fig. 9. The corresponding position of the needle is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 13.

On its receding or backing out stroke, the needle moves a short distance and then pauses for a short interval, and the locking thread carrier 52 moves through the loop of the needle thread 0, as shown by full lines in Fig. 13, the loop of the needle thread being opened by the adherence to the work of that portion of thread which is adjacent to the preceding stitch and the pull up on the free portion of the thread adjacent to the eye of the needle during the initial upward movement of the needle. After the locking thread carrier 52 hasmoved through the loop of the needle thread, the loop catcher 7'5 ispushed over the carrier and under the locking loop thread D, asshown in Fig. 141. The loop catcher remains in its forward position during the time the locking thread carrier is backing out of the needle thread loop, and until or about the time the interlooped portions of the two threads have been drawn up close to or against the work,

whereupon the loop catcher is quickly withdrawn from the locking thread loop, at which time the needle is about to leave or has just receded from the work.

The needle thread, or stitching thread proper C, is measured or given out to and taken up in the work by a combined threadmeasuring and take-up device which will now be described. The thread is taken from any suitable source of supply (not shown) whence it is carried through a tension device 93 of a bracket extension 9 1 at the rear end of the plate 2 on the column 1, and then over a grooved pulley 95 which is mounted on a sector frame or bracket 96. Slidably mounted on this sector is a second pulley 97 which may be locked in adjusted positions by a set-screw 98. The thread is carried from the pulley 95 over this pulley 97 and thence through a clamping device 99, from which it passes over a pulley 100 which is journaled on a bracket extension 101 of the head-frame. From this pulley 100 the thread is looped through a waxing or thread-treating deiee 102 and thence up over a pulley 103 on a stitch-setting arm 10%. From this pulley 103 the thread is carried through a tension device 105 on the front of the waxing device 102 and then threaded through the eye of the needle 28.

The stitc i-setting arm 10% is pivoted loosely on a stub shaft or stud 10G, extending from the head-frame, and on this shaft 100, adjacent to said arm 101-, is also mounted a lever arm 107 whose end portion bears against a set-screw 108 which works through a lug 109 projecting laterally from said arm 101-, said set screw being provided with a locking nut 110. The lever arm 107 is provided with a rearward extension 111, having a roller 112 at its end which works in a cam slot 113 provided in the outer face of the cam disk 19. Pivoted on the stud 106 between the take-up arm 104; and the headframe 6, is a clamping'arm 114 which overhangs the thread-clamping plate 99. This arm 114 is provided with a set screw 115 which bears against said plate 99, said setscrew being locked in adjustable position bv a nut 110. The clamping arm 11% is also provided with a rearward extension 117 having at its end a roller 118 which rides on the periphery of the cam disk 19, and in the path of a cam projection 119 on said cam disk.

Normally the thread-clamping plate 99 is held in a raised position by aspringpressed pin 120 so that the thread is free to be pulled under said plate; and to prevent the thread from being accidentally I pulled out sidewise from under the plate stop pins 128 and 129.

99, a pin 121 is provided on the head-frame and the plate is provided with a perforation 122 adapted to receive said pin.

Pivoted on a lug 123 extending up from the bed plate 5, is an oscillatory arm 124. This arm is provided with a roller 125 which works in a cam slot 126 in the outer face of the cam disk 22. A supplemental arm 127 is pivoted on the arm- 124 near the upper end thereof and said arm 127 is'limited in its movement in either direction by On the outer end of said arm 127 is a grooved pulley 130 under which the thread is carried between the adjustable pulley 97 on said sector 96 and the clamping device 99. A spring-pressed pin 131, mounted on said oscillatory arm 124, bears against said arm 127 so as to normally hold the latter away from the arm 124.

The action of the thread-measuring and take-up device is as follows: The stitchsetting arm 104, having been actuated to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to set the stitch, or, in other words, to draw the interlooped portions of the stitching thread proper C and locking thread D into the puncture in the work, the awl is about to puncture the work for the next stitch. After the awl has. entered the work and receded, followed by the needle, as hereinbefore set forth, the lever-arm 107 is actuated so as to permit the stitch-setting arm '104 to drop until it is arrested by a stop pin 104 on the head-frame, the lever-arm 107 overtraveling or moving farther than the arm 104 during this actuation. The thread at this time is slack by reason of the arm 104 being in its lowermost position and the measuring arm 124 being in its forward position. Then, as the needle travels to the end of its downward stroke and returns for a short distance, pausing momentarily until the locking thread carrier 52 passes through the loop of the needle thread; and the loop catcher has engaged the locking thread loop and released the same after the carrier 52 has receded from the needle thread loop,

all as hereinbefore described, the needle continues its upward movement and at the same time the measuring arm 124 moves rearwardly at a fast speed. This movement of the needle and arm 124, pulls the needle thread until the portion thereof which is looped with the locking thread, is tight to the underside of the work,- the spring-pressed pin 131 permitting the arm 127 to yield so as not to draw the interlooped portions of the two threads into the puncture in the work. At this stage, the clamping device 99 is actuated to clamp the needle thread, and immediately thereafter the stitch-setting arm 104 is raised so as to pull in the interlooped portions of the two threads into the puncture, or, in other words, set the stitch. It is to be understood that the arm 104 is adjusted with respect to the arm 107 so as to effect a given amount of pull in to the interlooped threads in setting the stitch. This adjustment is regulated by manipulating the set-screw 109. Continuing its rearward movement the arm 124 takes from the source of supply suflicient thread for the next stitch. Just before the needle starts again on its downward stroke, the thread-clamping device 99 is released and the arm 124 moves to its forward position so as to slacken the thread between the clamping device and the pulley 97. .This particular thread-measuring and take-up device is the sole invention of the applicant Wheeler, and forms the subject-matter of a separate application, filed by him on November 17, 1913, Ser. No. 801,376. Therefore, it is not claimed in this application.

In the operation of the machine, the stitch-setting arm 104 is set with respect to the arm 107 so as to give the desired pull in or set to the stitch. That is, so as to pull theinterlooped threads the desired distance into the puncture in the.

work. This adjustment remains until it is desirable to change the amount of pull in, more or less.

The needle thread is always measured out and taken up automatically for any thickness of work through the operation of the rocking arm 124 and the spring-pressed supplemental arm 127 thereon, it being only necessary to place the pulley 97 to the proper position on the sector 96 with respect to the travel of the arm 124 so that, at each stroke, suflicient thread is drawn from the source of supply to furnish the proper amount of slack thread to the needle for the maximum thickness of work and length of stitch or feed of the work.

The locking thread is measured according to the amount of pull in in setting the stitch, by adjusting the loop catches 75 laterally with respect to the path of the needle. In other words, the catcher is adjusted toward and away from the path of the needle. Then, as the thread-carrier 52 always travels the same distance ineither direction, the locking thread is thereby always given out and taken up automatically for any length of stitch. That is, the end of the loose portion of the locking thread being held by the completed preceding stitch, and the carrier 52 always traveling the same distance, more or less of the locking thread is pulled thereby from the source of supply, depending upon the feed of the work for the length of stitch being made. Hence, no adjustment is necessary to measure the thread for any particular length of stitch; and it is only necessary to adjust the finger 7 5 so as to withhold, on the receding stroke of the carrier 52, the proper amount of thread to allow for the desired pull-in or amount of the thread which it is desired to draw into the work in setting the stitch.

The general arrangement of the machine is such that the structure is compact, strong and durable and the stitching thread proper is carried in a straight line to the needle so that the thread is easily pulled and there is but little liability of its breaking.

The adjustment of the loop catcher 75 may be readily effected by providing it with a ribbed portion 75 which is slid-ably mounted on a counterpart grooved lateral en=d extension 7 5 of the reciprocatory bar 76, and by locking said parts together with a screw 7 5 which is inserted through a slot in the part 75 into a screw-tl ireaded hole in the part 75 I In order to support the needle laterally, so as to prevent it from springing or buckling as it enters the work, it is preferable to provide a guide 132 which is mounted so as to oscillate freely on the shaft 12. This guide comprises a hub portion 133 having an angular extensionwhich projects in front of the head-frame and is provided with a perforation 13-1 through which the needle slides. The needle guide is confined in its movement to the space between the presserfoot and a fixed needle guide 135 mounted thereabove on the front of the head-frame.

In order to secure a positive actuation of the needle guide, two recesses 136, 137, are provided in the outer face of the hub portion so as to be engaged by a spring-pressed pin 138 in a. collar 139 which is fixed on the end portion of the shaft 12.

The pin 138 is engaged in the recess 136 when the needle and awl are in their uppermost positions. As soon as the needle and awl start to move downward the needle guide, by reason of the engagement of the pin 138 in the recess 136, is moved until it is arrested against the presser-foot. The continued movement of the shaft 12 to which the awl-carrier 10 and the collar 139 are fixed, causes the pin 138 to ride out of said recess 136 and past or nearly past the recess 137, depending upon the position of the press'er-foot which controls the position of the needle guide and whose position depends upon the thickness of the work. That is, the recess 137 is located on the needle guide so that, in the lowermost position thereof, the pin 138 will at least reach, but, preferably, slightly overtravel the position of the recess. This is to insure the engagement of the pin in said recess 137 immediately so as to raise the needle guide simultaneously as the needle starts upward, thereby avoiding any in terference with a free passage of the thread while the needle is rising, and unobstructing the eye of the needle when it is raised clear of the work, as shown in Fig. 9.

As shown in the drawings, the presserfoot extension 83 is provided with an upstanding fiange 83 which is slotted in the region where the needle travels through the presser-foot so as to make clearance for the thread. It is also preferable to provide a groove 135 in the lower front edge portion of the fixed needle guide 135 as a guide for the thread as it passes to the needle.

The locking thread D is taken from any suitable source of supply (not shown) and looped down through a waxing or threadtreating device 1 10, whence it is carried through an opening 1-11 in the housing 63 and threaded through the eye in the carrier 52. As shown, the waxing device 1 10 is immersed in a water receptacle which may be heated in any desirable way, provision for such being omitted from the drawings as the same is obvious and well known in the art. So, too, in some cases the thread may obviously be treated with a suitable liquid preparation instead of a wax or substance which has to be softened by the application of heat, as is also'well known in the art and forms no part of the present invention.

Obviously, the machine admits of considerable modification without departing from the spirit of the invention as covered by the appended claims. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited to the specific construe tion and arrangement shown.

We claim:

1. In a machine for sewing leather and the like, a rocking needle-carrier, an arcuate needle thereon, a rocking awl-carrier mov ing about the same center as said needle carrier, a laterally oscillating awl-holder thereon, an arcuate awl on said holder opposed to said needle, said needle and awl being curved on the same radius, said awlcarrier and said needle-carrier having each a toothed sector, a rocking lever having a sector engaging the sector on the needle carrier, a parallel rocking lever having a sector engaging the sector on the awl-carrier, a power shaft extending transversely of the rocking levers, cam disks fixed on said shaft on opposite sides of said rocking levers, said disks having, respectively, cams on their inner sides for actuating the adjacent rocking lever, said cams being so shaped and correlated that differential motionis imparted to said needle-carrier and said awl-carrier whereby the point of the awl is brought close to the point of the needle at the completion of the puncturing stroke, and the needle moves simultaneously with the awl in close relation thereto until the and has receded from the work, a reciprocatory pin working transversely to the axis of the awl-holder and adapted to shift the latter in the direction to feed the work, a rocking lever cooperating with said reciprocatory pin, and a cam on the power shaft cooperating with said rocking lever for actuating said reciprocatory pin in the direction to shift the awl-holder, said cam being correlated with the cams on said before-mentioned cam disks so as to become effective when the awl has completed its puncturing stroke, and means for restoring the awl-holder to puncturing position after the awl has receded from the work.

2. In a machine for sewing leather and the like, a rocking needlecarrier, an arcuate needle thereon, a rocking awl-carrier moving about the same center as said needlecarrier, a laterallyoscillating awl-holder thereon, an arcuate awl on said holder opposed to said needle, said needle and awl being curved on the same radius, said awlcarrier and said needle-carrier having each a toothed sector, a rocking lever having a sector engaging the sector on the needle carrier, a parallel rocking lever having asector engaging the sector on the awl-carrier, a power shaft extending transversely of the rocking levers, cam disks fixed on said shaft on opposite sides of said rocking levers, said disks having, respectively, cams on their inner sides for actuating the adjacent rocking lever, said cams being so shaped and correlated that differential motion is imparted to said needle-carrier and said awl-carrier whereby the point of the awl is brought close to the point of the needle at the completion of the puncturing stroke, and the needle moves simultaneously with the awl in close relation thereto until the awl has receded from the work, a reciprocatory pin working transversely to the axis of the awl-holder and adapted to shift the latter in the direction to feed the work, a rocking lever cooperating with said reciprocatory pin, and a cam on the. power shaft cooperating with said rocking lever for actuating said reciprocatory pin in the dircction to shift the awl-holder, said cam being correlated with the cams on said before-mentioned cam disks so as to become effective when the awl has completed its puncturing stroke, and means for restoring the awl-holder to puncturing position after the awl has receded from the work, said restoring means being capable of adjustment for varying the puncturing position of the awlholder.

3. A sewing machine of the character described and utilizing two threads, namely, a stitching thread proper and a locking thread, said machine comprising a headframe, a needle-carrier mounted on said head-frame and operable to reciprocate a needle through the work, a needle on said carrier adapted to take a loop of the stitching thread through the work, a lockingtlnead-carrier adapted to lay a loop of the locking thread through the loop of the stitching thread, said locking-thread-carrier being detachably mounted on the front of the head-frame, and a movable housing constituting the work-support and adapted to retain said locking-thread-carrier in place on the head-frame.

4. In a loop-lock-stitch sewing machine, a head-frame, stitch-forming mechanism mounted on said head-frame and including a needle adapted to take a loop of the stitching thread through the work, a stud projecting from the front of said head-frame, an oscillatory locking-thread-carrier slipped loosely on said stud, and a movable housing at the front of said head-frame, said housing constituting a work-support and retaining said oscillatory locking-tln'ead-carrier on said stud.

5. In a loop-lock-stitch machine for sewing leather and the like, a needle adapted to take a loop of the stitching thread proper through the work, said needle having a definite reciprocatory stroke, a locking-loopcarrier adapted to lay a loop of the locking thread through the loop of the stitching thread proper, said carrier also having a definite reciprocatory stroke, stitch-setting means, and a combined thread-measuring and take-up device cooperating with the needle to draw the interlooped portions of the two threads close to the work prior to the operation of said stitclrsetting means and adapted to give out thread for the succeeding stitch, said stitch-setting means giving a definite pull-in to the interlooped threads for any thickness of work, and said measuring and take-up device operating without adjustment for any thickness of work up to agiven maximum.

6. In a loop-lock-stitch machine for sewing leather and the like, a needle adapted to take a loop of the stitching thread proper through the work, said needle having a definite reciprocatory stroke, a locking-loopcarrier adapted to lay a loop of the locking thread through the loop of the stitching thread proper, said carrier also having a definite reciprocatory stroke, stitcl1-setting means, said means being adjustable for different amounts of pull-in to the interlooped threads and operating to give a definite pull-in for any thickness of work, and a combined thread-measuring and takeup device cooperating with the needle to draw the interlooped portions of the two threads close to the work prior to the opera tion of said stitch-setting means and adapted to give out thread for the succeeding stitch, said measuring and take-up device being adjustable for any maximum thickness of work and operating without further adjustment for work of less thickness.

7. In a machine for sewing leather and the like, a head-frame, a work support at the front thereof, a transverse horizontal rock-shaft mounted on said head-frame, an oscillatory needle-carrier mounted on said rock-shaft, an arcuate needle on said carrier, an oscillatory awl-carrier mounted on said rock-shaft adjacent to said needle-carrier, a laterally oscillating awl-holder on said awl-carrier, an arcuate awl on said holder and opposed to said needle, said awl and needle being curved on substantially the same radius from the axis of said rock shaft, two parallel rocking levers pivoted to the rear of said rock-shaft, the one having an operative connection with the needle-carrier and the other with the awl-carrier, a trans verse horizontal power shaft to the rear of said head frame, and cams on said power shaft for effecting the actuation of said rocking levers.

S. In a machine for sewing leather and the like, a head-frame, a work support at the front thereof, a transverse horizontal rock-shaft mounted on said head-frame, an oscillatory needle-carrier mounted on said rock-shaft, an arcuate needle on said carrier, an oscillatory awl-carrier mounted on said rock-shaft adjacent to said needle-carrier, a laterally oscillating awl-holder on said awlcarrier, an arcuate awl on said holder and opposed to said needle, said awl and needle being curved on substantially the same radius from the axis of said rock shaft, two parallel rocking levers pivoted to the rear of said rock-shaft, the one having an operative connection with the needle-carrier and the other with the awl-carrier, a transverse horizontal" power shaft to the rear of said head-frame, an oscillatory presser-foot having a forwardlytnrojecting work-clamping portion and a rearward extension, a leverarm projecting toward said power shaft, means for releasably and adjustably engaging said lever-arm and the rearward extension of said presser-foot, means for shifting said awl-holder while the awl is in the work, so as to feed the work, a cam on said power shaft for actuating said awl-holder shifting means, and means on said power shaft for effecting the actuation of said lever arm and presser-foot to release the work while the awlholder is being shifted in the direction to feed the work, and means for restoring the awl-holder to puncturing position after the awl has receded from the work. 7

9. In a machine for sewing leather and the like, a head-frame, a work support at the front thereof, a transverse horix l rock-shaft mounted on said head-frame, an oscillatory needle-carrier mounted on said rock-shaft, an arcuate needle on said carrier, an oscillatory awl-carrier mounted on said'rock-shaft adjacent to said needle-carrier, a laterally oscillating awl-holder on said mvl-carrier, an arcuate awl on said holder and opposed to said needle, said awl and needle being curved on substantially the same radius from the axis of said rocksliaft, two parallel rocking levers pivoted to the rear of said rock-shaft, the one having an operative connection with the needlecarrier and the other with the awl-carrier, a transverse horizontal power shaft to the rear of said head-frame, an oscillatory locking-thread-carrier located beneath the work support and having a thread-carrying linger adapted to reciprocate through the loop of the needle thread, said locking-thread-carrier being mounted on a longitudinal horizonl'al rock-shaft extending through said head-frame, a spring-pressed operating lever connected to said longitudinal roclo shaft, a cam on said power shaft for actuating said operating lever, a spring-pressed longitudinal horizontal reciprocatory bar extending through said head-frame, a tin gcr on the front end of said reciprocatory bar in the region of the paths of the needle and the tln'cad-carrying finger of said locking-thread-carrier, and a cam on said power shaft adapted to actuate said reciprocatm-y bar to move said finger thereon into theloop of the locking'thread and thereby hold said loop while the thread-carrying finger is receding from the needle thread loop.

10. In a machine for sewing leather and the like, a head-frame, a work support at the front-thereof, a transverse horizontal rock-shaft mounted on said head frame, an oscillatory needle-carrier and an oscillatory awl-carrier mounted on said rock-shaft, one of said carriers being fixed to and the other loose on said rock-shaft, separate operating levers mounted to the rear of said carriers and operatively connected with the respective carriers, a laterally oscillating awl-holder on said awl-carrier, an arcuate awl on said holder and an arcuate needle on said needle-carrier opposite to said awl, said awl and needle being curved on substantially the same radius from the axis of the rock-shaft, an oscillatory presser-foot mounted loosely on said rock-shaft and having a forwardly extending workclamping portion and a rearwardly extending actuating arm, a lever device operatively associated with said lever arm, a stationary needle-guide on said head-frame above said presseufoot, an oscillatory needle-guide mounted loosely on said rock-shaft and having its needle-guiding portion disposed beti'rc :11 said presser-foot and said stationary needle-guide, means on said rock-shaft for releasably engaging said oscillatory needlecopies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Gommluioner at Patents,

guide so as to move the latter simultaneously with the initial movement of said rock-shaft in both directions, a transverse horizontal reciprocatory pin on said headframe arranged and adapted to shift said awl-holder in the direction to feed the work, a lever device for controlling the actuation of said reciprocatory pin, an oscillatory locking-loop-carrier on the front of said head-frame, a longitudinal horizontal rockshaft extending through the base portion of said head-frame, a lever-arm on the outer end of said rock-shaft operatively connected with said locking-loop-carrier, and a second lever-arm on the inner end of said rockshaft, a lever-device connected to said leverarm for controlling the actuation of said rock-shaft, a longitudinal horizontal reciprocatory bar extending through said head frame, a finger projecting forwardly from said bar close to the paths of said needle and said locking-loop-carrier and adapted to enter the locking thread loop, a power shaft to the rear of said head-frame, and cams on said power shaft for eflecting the actuation of all of the herein-mentioned parts directly through their respective lever devices, substantially as described.

11. In a sewing machine, an awl for puncturing the work and a needle working successively through the punctures made by the awl in the work, said awl and needle reciprocating through the work from opposite sides thereof, and means for imparting a differential reciprocation to the awl and needle whereby the ,point of the awl is brought close to the point of the needle at the completion of the puncturing stroke of the awl, and the awl and needle are actuated simultaneously in such relation on the receding stroke of the awl so that the needle enters the work before the awl has receded therefrom.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. MYERS. JOHN L. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

G. A. PENNINGTON, STELLA HILL.

Washington, D. O." 

